Folding cot



Dec. 9, 1924.

518,386 A. T. H. BROWER FOLDING COT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. so, 1918 M z gza Dec. 1,518,386

'A. T. H. BROWER FOLDING COT Filed Sept. 30, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES ABRAHAJVI T. H. BROWER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING oo'r.

Application filed September 30, 1918.

T 0 all whom it may concern;

Be it known that l, ABRAHAM T. H. Browne, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, have invented certain new and usefullinprovements in Folding Cots, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to folding camp beds or cots and more particularly to folding cots having sectional side rails and pairs of folding center and end legs.

In such cots, end sticks or cross bars are usually adapted to detachably interlock with the ends of the side rails to brace and hold the latter apart when the cot is set up. But the canvas top or cover which is'connected to the side rails and end bars shrinks and stretches under varying weather conditions so that it is quite difficult to place the end sticks or struts in position or detach them in damp weather and, in dry weather, the end sticks or struts fail to hold the canvas top flat and taut.

In accordance with the present invention, such end sticks or struts are omitted, the canvas top is so connected to the side rails that additional support-s at its ends are not required and adjusting devices, connected to the crossed folding legs, are arranged to hold the side rails at different distances apart and so maintain the cover or top flat and taut under all conditions;

The details of the preferred form of the invention are hereinafter set forth and illus trated in the accompanying drawings and the scope of the invention is more particular 1y set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of the improved folding cot. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a partial end view of the cot in partially folded condition. Fig. 5 is a side view showing the frame work of the cot folded.

As shown, the cot comprises sectional side rails and pairs of crossed, pivotally connected end and middle legs. Each side rail, instead of consisting of two sections only, comprises long end sections 1 and a short center section 2. Each pair of legs comprises crossed bars 3 and 4, the bar 4 being formed of upper and lower sections connected by pairs of S-shaped plates 5. The plates 5 of each pair extend on opposite sides of the companion bar or leg 3 and are Serial No. 256,193.

centrally connected thereto by a pivot bolt or rivet 6.

The upper ends of the end legs are connected to the sections 1 of the side rails by pairs of L-shaped hinge plates 7. These plates are fixed to the upper ends of the legs and have inwardly offset upper ends connected to the .side rails by pivot bolts 8. The hinge pivots 8 are disposed at points adjacent but spaced from the ends of the side rail sections 1 and the hinge plates are so arranged that the legs are adapted to fold upwardly and inwardly beneath the side rails and closely adjacent the lower faces thereof, after the side rails and pairs of crossed legs have been brought together, as shown in Fig. 4-. The upper ends of the middle pair of legs are connected to the inner ends of the sections 1 of the side rails and to the short center sections 2 thereof by pairs of T-shaped hinge plates 10 which are fixed to the upper ends of the middle legs and to the short sections 2 of the side rails and are connected to the inner ends of the sections 1 of the side rails by pivot bolts 11. These hinge plates permit the folding of the end sections 1 of the side rails to a position parallel with each other and with the middle legs, as shown in Fig. 5. lVhen set up, the end sections 1 of the side rails snugly abut against the ends of the center sections 2 thereof, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The canvas top or cover 12 is provided with hemmed or reinforced edges and extends between and is secured to the side rails of the cot. In the form shown, the side edges of the cover extend over the upper, outer and lower faces of the side rails and are secured to the lower faces thereof by tacks or similar fastcnings. Adjacent its center and ends the canvas cover or top is cut away at its side edges to form openings 13 and 14. The openings 14:, which are arranged adjacent the ends of the cot, are of suflicient size to receive the hinge plates 7 but these openings are spaced from the ends of the top so that the extreme end portions thereof are connected to the side rails outside of the upper ends of the end legs. This arrangement is permitted since the end legs are adapted to fold upwardly and inwardly beneath the side rails and the extreme end portions of the canvas cover or top. are securely supported by the side rails without using transverse end bars. At the center llU and at each side, the top or cover is provided with two openings 13 which are arranged adjacent the hinged pivots 11 and are of suf licient size to admit the ends of the side rail sections 1 when the latter are folded. The portions of the canvas top or cover between each pair of openings 13 are secured to the short center sections 2 oi? the side rails and preferably extend beneath the outer T- shaped hinged plates 10 as most. clearly shown in Fig. 2. In this way, the central portion of the canvas top,which usually carries a large portion of the load, is securely supported.

To vary the distance between the side r: ils, adjustingdevices are connected to. the pairs of crossed legs. These adjusting devices are preferably in the form of ropes l5 which extend through guide pulleys 16 fixed to the sides faces of the pairs of crossed; legs 3 and 4 adjacent the ends thereof. P 'etterabl y, as shown, (see Fig. 3) each rope is fixed atone end to the lower end of one of the legs 8. As illustrated, the end of the rope passes through a hole in the lower end of the leg 3 and is knotted. From this point, the rope extends upwardly over a guide pulley 16 on the upper end of the leg 4, thence downwardly over a guide pulley on the lower end of the leg 3, then upwardly at an incline over a guide pulley on the upper end of the leg 3, then downwardly over a guide pulley on. the lower end of the leg at and again upwardly to the side rail about which it extends and to which it is tied. By

pull of the rope is eflieetively exerted to force the upper ends of: the legs towards the lower ends and force the side rails apart to place the canvas top or cover under tension. The inclined portion of the rope between the endsof the leg 8 extends across and in substantial alignment with the axis of the pivot 6 so that the pull of the rope does not tend to force the upper ends of the legs together.

The tensioning devices and the manner in which the canvas top or cover is secured to the end and short center sections of the side rails afford means by which the top can be stretched flat and taut under dililercnt weather conditions and. any slack in the top can. be readily taken up. The adjusting dc- YlCQS can be readily manipulated to place the canvas top under any desired tension and are so. arranged that they do not intertere with the compact folding of the cot. The improved construction avoids the necessity of providing detachable end bars andv is particularly efficient in preventing the sagging oi the central portion of the canvas top. The adjusting ropes 15 are preferably of such length that they remain revved througl-i the guide pulleys 16 when the rot is folded. and the end portions of the ropes can be tied about the parts to hold them compactly folded.

Ob-Yiously, changes may be made in the details set forth without departure from the essentials of the invention as defined in the claim.

I claim as my invention In a folding cot, side rails, pairs of crossed, pivotally connected legs connected to said side rails a fabric top secured to said side rails, adjusting ropes connected to said legs for placing, said top under tension, and guide pulleys for directing said ropes snbstantially in vertical direction between. the opposite end portions of the crossed legs of each pair and in an inclined direction across the pivotal axis thereof, substantially" as (la-- scribed.

ABRAHAM Ti H. BROWER. 

